Regina lawyer named head of Sask. labour relations board

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A day after firing the old chairman of the Saskatchewan Labour Relation's board, the provincial government has announced his replacement — Ken Love, a Regina lawyer with the MacLean Keith law firm.

Love has over 30 years of legal experience with the City of Regina, the provincial government and in private practice, according to a news release.

"He has represented both employees and the City of Regina before the LRB on numerous occasions," the government said Friday in a news release.

Labour Minister Rob Norris said the former chairman and two vice-chairs have been terminated without notice. They will be offered an appropriate severance payment, he said.

The vice-chairs will be replaced later, the government said.

The government didn't name the terminated labour board officials, but on Thursday, the labour relations board website listed James Seibel as the chair, and Angela Zborosky and Catherine Zuck as the two vice-chairs.

Asked by reporters about the dismissals, Norris said it's normal for new governments to make changes to boards. He said the NDP did the same thing.

However, labour groups have denounced the firings, saying there was no need for such a major housecleaning.

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour president Larry Hubich said he would reserve criticism about Love until he see some of his decisions, although he had some concerns.

He said a quick search of a legal database showed that over the past 20 years Love had worked on seven cases that had come before the labour relations board.

In three, he represented workers who wanted to decertify their union, while in three more, he represented an employer against a union. In the seventh case, he was also opposed to union interests, according to Hubich.

"No one I've talked to has ever retained him as a union-side lawyer," he said.

The same morning the government announced Love's appointment, it also said Workers Compensation Board chair Johm Solomon was being replaced. Humboldt lawyer and businessman Dave Eberle is replacing him.